Fivewalls

Challenge. Slack channels at Riot sometimes became unproductive, with off-topic discussions and a lack of structured conversation flow. Additionally, many users hesitated to ask questions publicly due to fear of criticism, impacting community engagement. The client needed a solution to encourage constructive dialogue, manage multiple threads effectively, and allow anonymous question submissions, while also gathering insightful analytics on user interactions. Solution. Our team developed a two-part system using Node.js and TypeScript: A Slack bot, built with Bolt Slack SDK, to facilitate organized conversations by detaching questions into separate threads and enabling anonymity. An analytics app integrated with Google Spreadsheets API to collect and present data in a user-friendly format.To overcome API rate limits and server cold start delays, we implemented a serverless architecture on Firebase Functions with a scheduled helper function syncing data between Firestore and Google Sheets efficiently. Results. The Slack bot introduced structure and clarity to Riot’s communication channels, turning them into dynamic discussion forums with threaded conversations. It empowered users to ask questions anonymously, reducing hesitation and boosting engagement. Automated analytics capture detailed metrics including question counts, user locations, timestamps, anonymity preferences, and reaction tallies. This data, synced to Google Sheets, provides Riot with actionable insights to improve community management.